I was assigned to go to Oakland yesterday to cover the trial of Abraham Hade, the Fremont 19-year-old accused of fatally stabbing Osana Futi, a Newark Memorial High football star.

Futi’s former girlfriend took the stand and she shed light on what exactly led to the stabbing that killed Futi. Prosecutors allege that the defendant is a Norteno gang member and he is facing a murder charge with a gang enhancement clause, which will add years to his sentence if convicted. When asked by Deputy D.A. Elgin Lowe whether there has been a “longstanding” feud between Newark Memorial football players and the Norteno gang in Newark and Fremont, Futi’s former girlfriend said those problems have been around long before she attended Newark Memorial.

So now, a star athlete who had overcome all kinds of adversity is dead and Hade is in danger of going to prison for a very, very long time. Sitting in the Oakland courthouse yesterday, senseless violence rarely seemed more senseless.